Clutch.



ATENTED AUG. 2l, 1906.

Nei 82Q,GSS.

F. L. EAGER.

CLUTCH'.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1905.

saires ParENr OFFICE.

Tlail" whom t'jvgmy concern:

Belitlcnown 'that 1, FRANK L. Enom, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Watei'bu' ,'in' the county ofvNew Haven and Statefof" onnecticut, have invented a new and I "proved yClutthybf which the following is a specification. r i

Myinvention relates to 'that class of devices in which theniovernent ofa driving memberffis," conveyedto mechanism to be drivethercby or what may be termed the driven mem Aeri,l which latter `mechanism may Hdisoonnected at will from the driving member, and 'the .improvement relates more es eciallyto that class of clutches known as Hump-clutches or one in which the connection betweenthe drivin member and the driven member is obtaine through the medium of 'riotiondevicesJ The' object' of my invention is to provide .a device of this class in which the connection betweenj thedriving member and the driven member she-1l be sure and effective and one in whichfthemotion A.to the driven memberA shall not' be imparted too suddenl T, the driveninember gradually taking up t e motion of the driving member; and a further object of the invention iste rovide a device. of this class in which the o utch action be- .-.tweenthe driving and driven members shall depend upon the rate of movement of the latter as compared with the former; and a further object f theinvention is to rovide a device 1n which theamount of friction betweenxthe driving and driven members re quired' to operate' the device shall depend upoif the load placed upon or in opposition to movement of the driven member; and a still furtherobjeot ofthe invention is to provide a 4o devicvf this class that shall prevent an exoessiv'e amount of power, sufficient to strain or break the arts',t'o be a plied to the driven meinberlin erexcessive oads or opposition to movement applied to the latter. A form of mbhanisminfthe use of which these objectsv may be obtained is illustrated in the ac companying drawings, in whiclr- Figure 1 is a view in central longitudinal:

Specification of Letters Patent` l Appunti@ ritirati-nary 24,'1905. semina. 247.103.

seetioiifthrough'a device embodying my -in-f; 5o vention.E Fig.l 2 is a face view ookmg into.

the' cliitch and with the cani-plate removed, parts being'broken away to show construction.v FigL`3 isaface view of the cani. Fig. 4' is a view in'central longitudinal section througha'de'v-ioe, showingr another embodient o'inyinventlon. .Figf 5 is :Lince view L.. EAGER, or WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

einen.

Patented Aug. 21, leoe.

`view of still another form of cam and illustrating the `operation of this form of mechan- In the accompanying drawings the -nu- 'meral 1 denotes a shaft, as a counter-shaft,

which is to be driven from any, suitable source oi power applied as through a pulley or drum 2. 1 Thisvipulley or drum is mounted to rotate freely on -the shaft and vmay be driven by any suitable means, .as by a belt passing around the outer surface thereof. A cam-p ate 3 is also mounted on the shaft to have rotation independent thereof, and this cam-plate is provided with cam-grooves 4.

The cam-plate is vconnected with the pulley or drum 2 as by 'means of pins 5, arranged about the drum in any desired number and referablysecured thereto, these -nspassing through openings in the cam-p ate to af ford sliding movement of the latter u on said ins. A spider 6 is keyed to the sha t and is referably of the form shown in Fig. 2 of the rawings, having two arms arranged on diametrioa ly opposite sides of the shaft and extending radially therefrom. Each of these arms is provided at its outer end with a. recess 7, forming bearings 8 for the eccentricpins 9. Fach of these pins bears eccentrics 10 and 11, arranged in opposition to each other, and a lever 12 is secured to each ofthe eccentric-pins 9..

Stra s 13 pass around the eccentrics, and each o these straps is connected with one end of a clutch-shoe 14, as by means of a link 15. Two of the shoes 14 are preferably-provided, as shown in Fig. 2 of` the drawings, and these shoes may be connected with the links l5 or supported thereby in any suitable manner. These links are secured to the straps on the eccentrios in any suitable manner and are screw-threaded to engage adjusting-nuts 16, by moans ofwliicli the osition of the shoes '14 to properly engage the pulley or drum 2 may be determined. Each 'of the levers l2 bears a stud 17 adapted to engage the cam- .groove 4. A lover 1S, pivotally supported in 'anywellaknown manner and engaging a colliii 19,'locntcdfin a groove on the cam-plate 3, may bo :employed to move the cam-plate to omiso the stud 17 to engage within-tbe grooves tlielolu.

.lu the operation of tlio device, tlio parts being 1u tho position' shown in Figs. 1 and .Z, the studs 17 on tlic levers 12 will lie normally opposite a concentric groove 4, located near the center of the cam-plate. As the cam- ,plate is moved toward the pulley or drum 2 the studs 17 enter the groove 4, and, the camlate and pulley traveling in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 2 and 3, as the cani-grooves 4, leading from the groove 4a; are lmoved in the rotation of the caniplate they pass along each of the studs 17, causing the levers 12 to be swung away from the shaft. This swinging movement of the levers causes the eccentrics 1() and 11 to be turned iii opposition to each other, and the shoes 14 are caused to frictionally engage the inner surface of the pulley or drum 2. The spider 6, and consequently the shaft 1 grad- -ually acquires thel movement of the pulley or drum 2, and when the spider has acquired the 'saine rate of rotation as the drum further outward movement of the levers 12 will cease. It will be seen that should more load be placed upon the shaft 1 to oppose its movement there will be a tendency of said shaft to lag in its movement, and consequently the cam-plate will travel slightly faster and cause the` arms 17 to be thrown farther outward until the spider acquires the same rate of movement as the cam-plate and pulley.

The adjustment of the adjusting-nuts 16 may be such that when the levers 12 are thrown outward far enough for the concentric groove 4h near the outer surface of the drum or pulley to engage the stud 17 the pulley or drum Will slide upon the shoes 14 should an excessive .load be a plied to the shaft 1. It will thus be seen t at in the application of an excessive load to the shaft 1 the outward movement ,of the levers 12 is limited, so that injury to the parts will not result in case of the application of an excessive load to the shaft 1, the drum or pulley 2 merely rotating and slipping upon the shoes 14.

In the forni of device shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings the pulley or hub 2O is mounted torotatelooselyu onthe shaft 1,as hereinhefore described. Tie spider 21 and the cani-plate 22, however, are keyed to the shaft, the latter having its cani-grooves facingoutward and its hub'engaging'a spline on the shaft, so that while the cam-plate and shaft are compelled to rotatetogether the former may have' i sliding movement longitudinally of the latter.V In4 this form of device a friction-band 23 is'borne on the inner surface of the drum or pulley "20. This band is preferably made in two sections, two ends of which are oined, as by means of an adjust-` ing stud 24, having oppositelv -arranged threads engaging threar ed soc ets in the band. The opposite ends of the hands have links 25 and 26 connecting them with eccentrics 27 and 23, located on the eccentric-pin 29, located in bearings in the drum, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. A lever. 30 is secured to the eccentric-pin 29 and has a stud located opposite the cam-groove in the plate 22, as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The cani-grooves in this plate may be arranged in any desired manner to cause the lever 30 to be swim away from the shaft. For instance, a singIe camgroove, as indicated at 4 in Fig. 3 of the drawings, may be employed and the concentric grooves located near the shaft and near the outer surface of the cam-plate, as shown in Fig. 3, may be emplo red.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings another form of cani-plate 31 is shown, the cam-grooves 32 in this form being of heart shape. VA frictionband 33 may be em loyed, operated by a lever 34, pivoted to t e pulley or drum, as by means of a pin 35. In this form of device the friction-band 33 is connected to the lever 34 on opposite sides of the pin 35, and by the movement of the lever caused by the camgroove 32 the band is compressed upon the s ider in the same vmanner as in the device i ustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. In this form of the device a pawl 36 is employed to close the opening into the cam-groove 32 at one end, so that in the rotation of the cam in one direction when the stud on the lever.34 has entered the concentric groove 37 it will still be located in this groove, but is free to pass out of the groove 32 into the'concentric groove 37 at this Vend ofthe cam-groove.

It will be understood that different forms of ada tation of this invention may be employel than those herein shown Without departing from the scope or intentof the ,invention, and I do not desire or intend to limit my invent-ion to the precise means herein shown andl described for carr vin thesame into etlect, as any mechanism aving the objects herein stated willvbe deemed to come within the scope and intent of my invention.

To aid the movement of the studs 17 on the levers 12 from the groove 4y into the carngrooves 4 as the cam-plate is rotated, a lead may be provided in the groove 4 at or near the entrance to the cani-groove, this lead beeing provided by inclining a Wall or Walls of as shown atm-'lc in Fig. 3 of the drawings. I t will be obvious that instead of providing this IlO * the concentric groove toward the cam-groove,

lead a `pawl may be provided, as shown 1n Fig. 6 of the drawings.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by'Letters Patent, is-

1. A driven member, a driving,member lmounted to rotate ifreely thereon and includling a dish with a `flange constitutin the rim thereof and forming alrecess, a spi erke ed to the driven member and, lecated wit in saidrecess, a friction device located Within said recess andada ted toengage one o fsaid members, ya 4lever or operatingthe friction device, a cani-'plate having cani-grooves to engage said lever and forming a cover to com\ x 3o i pletely inclose said recess, and means for operatirg 2. drivenV member, a driving member mounted to rotate freely thereon andinclud-y ring, a lever to operatethe eccentric, and a' camdisk to close said recess and having a cam-groove to engage and operate said lever, and means for operating the cam-disk.

3. A driven imember, a driving member mounted to rotate freely thereon and includl ing a disk With a iange constituting the periphery thereof and forming a recess, an arm secured to the shaft and extending radially therefrom, a friction-band supported by said arm, oppositelyedisposed eccentrics in engagement with the ends of the friction-band,

a lever for operating the eccentrics, a camplate formin a cover for the recess in the driving mem er and having cam-grooves to engage said lever, and means for operating the camlate.

4. A and a spider mounted thereon, one of said parts being ke ed to the driven member, a friction device orne by one of said parts and adapted to en age the opposite part, a lever for operating t e friction device, a cam-plate having a groove to engage said lever, means for moving the cam to engage said lever, and means for positively limiting the extent of outward movement of the lever, whereby a predetermined pressure between the parts is obtained.

5. A driven member, a driving member and a spider mounted thereon, one of said parts being ke ed to the driven member, a friction device liorne by one of said parts and adapted to engage the opposite part, a lever termine riven member, a driving member,v

for operating the friction device, a cam-plate having a groove, means for positively llmiting theoutward movement of the lever and retaini it' in said {osition whereby a predepressure etween the parts 1s obtained, and meansfor moving the cam-plate to operatively engage the leverl" M v 6. A driven member, a driving member and` a spider mounted thereon, one of said parts being ke ed to the driven member, a5' friction device orne by' one of said parts and' adapted to engage the op osite part, a lever for operating the friction device, a cam-plate having a radially-arranged cam-groove' means Tor positively limiting the outward movement of the lever and for retaining it in said osition whereby a predetermined pressure between the parts is obtained, and meansfor moving the cam-plate to operatively ngage the lever.

7. A driven member, a driving mem'ber mounted to rotate thereon, a s ider secured thereto, a friction device borne y one of said last-mentioned parts and adapted to engage the opposite member, an eccentric for oper-f ating said friction member, a lever tooperate the eccentric, a cam ha'ving a concentric groove to engage said lever and a cam-groove to operate it and means for'operating the cam.

8. A driven member, a driving member mounted te rotate thereon, a s ider keyed thereto, a friction-band mounte on the spi- Vder to engage the driving member, an eccenktric for operating said band, a lever for operating the eccentric, a cam-plate having two concentric grooves and a cam-groove joinin the concentric grooves, said grooves adapte to engage thevlever to operate the riction band.

FRANK L. EAGER. Witnesses:

CLIFFORD J. HILL, N ATHAN BERKVIRTZ. 

